"Sweden and Swedes are very open and welcoming"

Describe your roll at the company, and briefly your background / experience of living and working in other countries.

– I am leading Finance team in Roche AB Sweden including Logistics and Procurement. I have joined Roche 10 years ago in Polish affiliate where I held a number of business and financial controlling roles partnering to commercial, R&D and Informatics departments. In 2014 I moved to Basel, Switzerland to take on the commercial regional controlling position. Prior to moving to Sweden I was responsible for global capital investments within pharma division.

What expectations did you have before moving to Sweden?

– While considering moving to Sweden, I had in mind the high respect for environment, great tolerance and openness and a good quality of life. I have expected to enjoy social and cultural aspects of living in a Stockholm.

How did it turn out?

– Indeed, it is great. Sweden and Swedes are very open and welcoming. Everybody was very helpful to make our first months easier. Clearly Stockholm is a fantastic city. My list of things to do and places to see seems to be never-ending.

What is the best thing with living in Sweden?

– Where to start from…. Proximity to nature. Getting into the wild is so fast and easy. On the other hand, fantastic restaurants serving international food with Swedish touch. Great coffee wherever you go and…. Everybody speaks English which makes it much easier to accommodate.

Would you recommend others to move here?

– After 6 months, mainly summer period, definitely yes. The sun rises before you wake up and sets after you go to bed. If you work until 5-6 pm. You still have 5 hrs of sun after work. That’s quality time for swimming, kayaking, biking and picnicking.

What do you think of Sweden regarding equality and other social aspects?

– Equality is a fundamental value for Swedes. It is clearly visible in all aspects of life including social and business. For many years Sweden has been a role-model in this matter and hopefully it will continue in the future.

In your opinion, which is the most beautiful place in Sweden?

– I still consider myself a newbie in Sweden and have seen only a small fraction of this beautiful country. So far, The Archipelago has made a great impression on me. My plan for the upcoming months is to explore North and see the northern lights in Abisko – I am sure it’s going to be a breath-taking experience.

Which is the best Swedish tradition?

– I quickly learnt that Fika is an important part of Swedish culture (tradition?). This is the best way to socialize with your colleagues and catch up on news in an informal way. It’s a great concept, but the real challenge with office fika is gauging what is a “lagom” amount of time to spend at this activity.